The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1887-08-18

wounded and unhurt men, women and
children, whose lives could be saved If
they could be gotten out, but
whose death in a most horrible
form was certain if the twisted |
wood of the broken cars caught fire, and
to ouench the fire there was not drop |
of water, and only fifty able-bodied men
who had still presence of mind and nerve
enough to do their duty. The only light |
was the light of the burning bridge, and
with its aid fifty men went to work to
subdue it. For four hours they
FOUGHT LIKE FIENDs,
and for four hours victory hung in the
balance The earth was the only weapon
with which the fire could be fought, and
SO the attempt was made to smother 1t.
There was no pick or shovel TO dig it, no
baskets or barrels to carry it in, and so,
desperately, they dug their fingers down
into the ground, which the long drouth
had baked almost as hard as stone, and
heaped the precious handfuls. Thus
hardly they won upon the encroaching
flames, and with this earthwork, built
handful by handful, they kept back the
foe. While this was going on other brave
men crept underneath the wrecked cars,
beneath the fire and the wooden bars
which held prisoners SO many precious
lives, and with pieces of board, and some
times their hands, peat back the flames
when they flashed up alongside some I'M
fortunate wretch, who, pinned down by a
heavy beam, looked on helplessly while it
seemed as if his death by fire was certain.
While the fight was thus going on the ears
or the workers were filled with the groans
of dying men, the anguished en-
| treaties of those whose death
seemed certain unless the terrible
blaze could be extinguished, and the cries
of those too badly hurt to care in what
manner their ends were brought about.
So they dug up the earth with their hands,
reckless of the blood streaming out from
broken finger nails, and heaping it up In
little mounds, while all the while came
heart-rending cries "For Gods sake dom
let us burn to DEATH" but finally the vic
tory was won; the fire was extingulshe
after four hours of endeavor, and as 1t
last spark died away, the light came up
the east to take its place, and the daw
came up on the scene of horror.
HEARTRENDING SCENE.
CHICAGO, August r. The Times
special from Forest, ILL.,, says that as fast
as the wounded were brought into Chats,
worth from the wreck they were taken
directly to the town hall, which had been
turned into temporary hospital. Beds
and cots were brought in from neighbor'
ing houses, together with the necessary
bedding, and the sufferers cared for by
loving hands. Torn and bleeding human
beings, in all the different stages of suf-
fering, lay around the room
moaning and crying with pam
While the doctors and nurses were bind
ing up wounds, bloody clothing, torn anc
covered with mud, lay around on the
floors in heaps, together with car cushions
mattresses and blankets, on which they
had been brought from the scene of thu
wreck. Many patients were under the In
fiuence of ether, or chloroform, while witt
their tightly teeth clenched they showed
the sufferings which they we're undergoing
while partially oblivious to their fate
Blood was everywhere, on the floors, walls
clothing and hands of the wounded, al
we'll as of those who were caring TO
them.
AS the day wore away, and the at
ternoon shadows faded into evening
the scenes changed somewhat The
wounded had been dressed and bandaged
J and most of them rested quietl!
enough to overcome mental and bodll,
t suffering, resting on comfortable beds
3 watched by tender hearted men AM
a women, a majority of whom had neve
s seen the patients until yesterday. The
4 slept, oblivious to the slaughter which hat
loY,o nIaRn
s around the halls their light CAREFUL
9 shaded, and the scene was strongly sue
d gestive Of tho interior of hospital on
field of battle.
In one corner of the lower hall la
q John G. Sheen, president of the Jerse
rs Central, a large and powerful man. Bot
n of his legs were broken, and he had re
j. ceived such internal injuries as rendere
Z his recovery doubtful.
t, Adam Schoenberger, of Peoria, la
n near him, semi-conscious, and slowl
70 breathing his life away. One of his leg
q was broken, and he was fatally injure
10 internally.
,e On the upper floor handsome woma
a about 20 years of age, stylishly dresse
lie Law extended on couch. She was Mi
ID Hattie Bremen, of Pennington, ILL.,, an
70 was on her way to Niagara Falls with Sc
If eral of her relatives In the party was
?. Young man named Walters, of Farmin
le ton. and to whom she was engaged to
le married He had been badly injured, al
le Law on a bed near her, attended by
ye couple of surgeons. While Miss Brenn
in was physically unhurt by the wreck, y
i'd fright and the knowledge of her lover
ut injuries has rendered her insane.
Is CHICAGO, August ia Times spec
from Chatsworth, ILL.,, says the board
railroad commissioners arrived here
noon yesterday and began an Investigate
4, of the recent disaster.
10 J.J. Switzerland, one of the enginee
W of the train, said the train was about t.
hours late when it drew out of Fore
y He saw, as he approached the bridI
Is, what seemed to be flames on the sou
gu side of the track. He then saw somethl
'n was wrong with the bridge, but it was
Is late to do anything. When he first s
laU the bridge it looked like embers.
n seemed to burst into flames when he r
OF on the bridge. 1t was not raging ii
nd nor did il communicate with the cars
an the bridge. He saw, as he expressed
're death staring at him in the face. He 81
OF off his engine and felt the bridge sil
Switzerland then opened the valve to [
're the train through.
nd The force of the train pushed the eng
ace over. breaking it loose from the tend
lad He was running about thirty-fve mi
the = 49, ua nod M mower to stOD